My weekly posts
When did you last avoid saying the real thing – and what did that avoidance cost
Most ‘difficult conversations’ fail before they start. In our free Five Core Practices Challenge, you’ll learn to make the undiscussable discussable, building psychological safety and productivity through real-world practice. Join me 18–20 August, one hour a day. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_leadership-management-psychologicalsafety-activity-7360930467069534208-zPil Sign up for thee free five core practices challenge at https://link.redquadrant.com/5corepracticeschallenge
Courses and events
Level 7 Systems Thinking Practitioner Apprenticeship: webinar on 28 August, 12:30
Join our free webinar to discover how the new apprenticeship Leading and Commissioning for Outcomes in Complexity – Convening Systems Change can supercharge your career and transform your organisation. Fully funded Level 7 programme this year only! Real-world impact through applied systems thinking. For commissioners, system leaders, and systems change-makers. Free webinar 20 August, 12:30–1:30pm Sign up here: https://link.redquadrant.com/apprenticeshipinfo for further information, see https://www.publicservicetransformation.org/level-7-apprenticeship-course-leading-and-commissioning-for-outcomes-in-complexity-convening-systems-change-free-webinar-on-20-august-2025-1230pm-uk-time/
The 5 Core Practices Challenge:
August 18, 19, 20 2025, 5pm-6pm BST. What if 5 simple practices could shift your organization from stuck to strategic – without adding more complexity? Adapt Faster. Lead Better. Deliver More. Join the five core practices challenge now. https://5pchallenge.openeyescollaborative.com/5-core-practices-challenge
Financial Times expert survey on management consultancies – vote now!
If you’re a consultant then you can vote in the peer survey to find Britain’s leading consultancy. RedQuadrant has done well for the past eight years. Usually, we’ve been listed in the public and social sector, organisation and change, people and performance, or in strategy. https://engage.statista-research.com/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=358489&lang=en.
Commissioning Compass: systems assessment for change
Our newly launched tool, the Commissioning Compass, helps you to assess your commissioning system and form an action plan for improvement. It’s available for free via our Teachable site – try it now! link.redquadrant.com/commissioningcompass
This September – Outcomes-based commissioning: a ten-step introduction
We’ve announced new dates for our introduction to commissioning course at the PSTA, perfect for early career commissioners in police, justice, health, care, children’s services, or other commissioning disciplines. Register your interest now. https://link.redquadrant.com/10step0925
Next National Commissioning Academy
We’re building our cohort for the next national commissioning academy – our flagship commissioning programme from the PSTA. Register your interest now: https://link.redquadrant.com/nextacademy25
SysPrac25 – The Systems Thinking Practitioner Conference.
3-4 September, Milton Keynes. SCiO, The Open University, and the International Federation for Systems Research (IFSR) are excited to invite you to SysPrac25 — the essential conference for systems thinking practitioners, learners, and leaders. Join us on 3rd and 4th September 2025 at the Open University campus in Milton Keynes for two dynamic days of insight, interaction, and innovation. Book your place now: www.sysprac25.org
Things I shared on socials:
Commissioning with communities: a toolkit for a human learning systems approach. Collaborate CIC
Are you wondering how to get started on a different approach to commissioning, working with communities? Is the new procurement act leaving you uncertain about how to take forward new approaches to commissioning? Or perhaps you’ve heard of Human Learning Systems (HLS) but not sure what that means for commissioning? This toolkit aims to answer some of those questions by offering practical guidance for applying HLS at every stage of the commissioning cycle and highlighting examples from places who are embedding this kind of thinking in their commissioning and looking to do things differently. https://collaboratecic.com/insights-and-resources/commissioning-with-communities-a-toolkit-for-a-human-learning-systems-approach/
On the shore I found a special stone
which conveyed the love of the universe for me/I lost it/On the beach again, all stones are special/The love of the universe is everywere around/ I found my guru on the street/disguised as a fine sumpter ass/I knelt to embrace her/they took me to the sanatorium https://www.linkedin.com/posts/antlerboy_on-the-shore-i-found-a-special-stone-which-activity-7361503920570916864-EMfz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACuq-oBecVFDW6PCf3lkoG-peMeuLBeoho
Geoff Wild. City and borough councils facing abolition under local government reorganisation should consider setting up charter trustees to temporarily preserve the historic rights, traditions and ceremonial functions of a town or city, until a new parish council or, in larger settlements, town council is established.
This ensures continuity in civic life and maintains the town’s identity during the transition. However, trustees are created only where an outgoing council requests their establishment as part of the reorganisation process. The failure of the extinguished Rochester-upon-Medway Council to appoint charter trustees or to apply for Rochester’s city status to be transferred to the replacement unitary authority of Medway led to Rochester losing its city status. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/geoffwild1_city-and-borough-councils-facing-abolition-activity-7361326427931115520-JYhN?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACuq-oBecVFDW6PCf3lkoG-peMeuLBeoho
John McCarthy and the ‘AI’ schism from ‘cybernetics’ – links for reference
Drawn to my attention by John Siegrist on this blog from Felix Hovespian. https://wp.me/p8QJZw-5oG
Deborah Rozanzy: How is #socialcare different from healthcare?
In this podcast with hashtag#healthconnect, I discuss the differences but also what these differences mean for people who draw on care, the importance of co-production and personalised care. Great care is much more than a set of tasks. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/deborah-rozansky-7b60966_in-healthcare-youre-diagnosed-treated-ugcPost-7358963827020840961–soV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAACuq-oBecVFDW6PCf3lkoG-peMeuLBeoho
Artificial Imitation: Did John McCarthy get the term AI from Norbert Wiener?
Serendipitously exploring history to inform the future https://wp.me/p8QJZw-6Gd
chosen path 